


Not That Kind Of Chemistry

by chattrekisses



Category: IT (2017), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Bisexual Richie Tozier, Boys Kissing, Chemistry, Cute, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Gay Eddie Kaspbrak, Idiots in Love, Kissing, Love, Love Confessions, M/M, Mutual Pining, Romantic Fluff, Surprise Kissing, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Tutoring
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-11
Updated: 2017-12-11
Packaged: 2019-02-13 14:24:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12985947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chattrekisses/pseuds/chattrekisses
Summary: When Bill begs Eddie to tutor Richie for him in Chemistry, he reluctantly complies. His agreement has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that he's in love with Richie.Obviously.





	Not That Kind Of Chemistry

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! I am incapable of writing anything other than Reddie fics. I hope you enjoy this, and if you do, please check out my other ones!

“C-come on, Eddie, p-p-please! He’s n-not that b-bad,” Bill pleaded. “H-honestly!”

“Bill, no, absolutely not! My mom would  _ kill  _ me if I was late home!” Eddie protested, fiddling with the zipper of his fanny pack.

“E-Eddie, just t-tell her y-you w-were at the l-l-library!” Bill said. “I r-really need you!”

“It’s not my fault that you asked Stan out on a date the day that you had to tutor  _ him _ !” Eddie insisted.

_ Him _ being Richie Tozier, resident Trashmouth of Derry, who wouldn’t leave Eddie  _ the fuck  _ alone. Okay, so Eddie didn’t really mind Richie and his coke-bottle glasses that magnified his chocolatey eyes and his long doe-like eyelashes. The dorky nicknames and wildly inappropriate jokes involving his mother didn’t even irk him that much. The thing that bothered Eddie though, was the fact that every time Richie popped up at Eddie’s locker to pinch his cheeks and comment on how adorable he found Eddie in his short-shorts, Eddie’s heart felt like it was beating out of his chest. And Eddie knew he wasn’t allowed too feel those things about a boy, especially about  _ Richie Tozier _ , who practically dripped germs. It didn’t seem to matter to Eddie though, because every time Richie would touch him, Eddie would shiver. Not in disgust, but because the touch would send shivers through Eddie’s bones, igniting a fire in the pit of his stomach.

He hadn’t told anyone he had felt that way, only spit fire back when Richie spoke to him, adopting his signature bitchface and rolling his eyes whenever anyone mentioned him. Ignoring his emotions hadn’t worked one bit, so he was trying to work on ignoring Richie. And while that had been effective to some degree- he didn’t see Richie, so Richie couldn’t touch him and make him realize once again that he was so far in the closet he was six dimensions past Narnia. But the withdrawal had some issues: Eddie was still constantly thinking about Richie and his stupid, pretty face and his stupid, pretty laugh.

“B-But she s-said y-yes! Y-Y-You k-know I’ve b-been w-waiting for t-this f-for so l-long!”

“Jesus fuck,” Eddie muttered, rubbing his eyes in defeat. He knew that Bill had been waiting for a very long time to build up enough courage to ask Stanley Uris out, and it wouldn’t be fair to Bill to impede their date. “What time?”

Bill clapped in excitement. “Y-You’re the b-b-best, Eddie! I-it’s from f-four to f-five, on the c-c-corner of P-Pine and S-S-Seventh,”

Eddie adjusted the straps of his backpack, shifting the bulk of the weight of his schoolbooks from one shoulder to the other. “What am I even supposed to be tutoring him in?”

“C-Chemistry,” Bill said. “H-he’s m-m-made a l-lot of p-progress, s-so it s-should b-be pre-pretty e-easy, I p-p-promise.”

Eddie was good at Chemistry, he had to be, considering how much medication he took. He learned early on how to determine if the medication his mother gave him had an actual purpose or was just a placebo.

“This is going to be _hell_ ,” Eddie whined. “You owe me one, Big Bill.”

“H-he’s r-really not th-that b-b-bad, Eddie. H-he’s r-really nice, once y-you g-get to k-know him.”

_He’s nice and cute and funny and considerate and holy fuck I am too gay for this._

“You owe me a _big_ favor, Bill,” Eddie frowned deeply, approaching the bike rack with Bill. He pulled out his own bike, glancing at Silver as Bill grabbed its handlebars. “Huge favor!”

“Y-Yeah, o-okay,”

Eddie wondered how creepy Richie would find it when he appeared unannounced at his house with no explanation. God, it would be really, really creepy. Eddie reached into his fanny pack and pulled out his inhaler, taking a hit quickly. He knew it wasn’t real, but he still used it. Psychosomatic and all that bullshit.

Music boomed from an open window on the second floor, and Eddie watched with fascination as Richie bounced along to the beat. It was the recklessness of the movements that enticed Eddie, the fact that Richie looked as if he didn’t have a care in the world. Still nodding his head along to the rhythm, Richie pulled a box of cigarettes out of his pocket and lit one carefully, then leaned out of the windowsill and looked out at the world. He gazed right over Eddie, not even seeing him. It was honestly kind of fascinating, the way Richie’s eyes categorized the world he saw, his lips working around the cigarette between his teeth. It was a kind of raw beauty that Eddie couldn’t help but be drawn to.

Eddie adjusted his backpack straps and started walking towards the front door. Richie didn’t hear him approach the house at all, still looking out, consumed in his thoughts and the music.

Eddie rang the doorbell once and waited a couple of minutes. When no one came, he rang the doorbell a couple more times, more insistently this time. Finally, someone grumbled and he heard heavy footfalls before the door swung open, a middle-aged woman with red-rimmed eyes and breath laden with alcohol answered.

“Whaddaya want, kid?” She asked, clearly unimpressed with Eddie.

“Oh, um… I’m supposed to meet with Richie? About Chemistry?” Eddie said.

“Isn’t it usually the tall one? With the stutter?” The woman asked. Eddie opened his mouth to explain, but she cut him off. “Never mind, whatever. I don’t care. Just go up the stairs to his room.”

“Okay…” Eddie was kind of appalled as the woman let him into the house and trudged back to the couch, immediately wrapping her lips around a bottle. He knew that his mom was severely overprotective, but he’d never met any parents on the opposite end of the spectrum.

He tried to put out of his mind how sad he felt about that. He knew his mom was insane, but at least she _cared_. Richie’s mom was the picture of neglect, and it made Eddie endlessly sad.

Eddie took the stairs two at a time, feeling the thrum of the music in his bones as he neared Richie’s room.

The door to Richie’s room, helpfully labelled, ‘ _Richie’s. Stay out, creeps.’_ was closed, so Eddie knocked. After a moment, the door opened and there stood Richie, cigarette hanging from his pretty pink lips, eyes wide in shock.

“Eds? What’re you doing here?” He asked, suddenly looking somewhere between shocked, embarrassed, and pleased. He put out his cigarette quickly on the doorframe, the paint wincing and smoking lightly in protest. Richie pushed up his glasses to sit more comfortably on the bridge of his nose.

“Bill sent me,” Eddie said. “For Chemistry tutoring? He has a date today, so he couldn’t come.”

Richie wolf-whistled. “A date, huh? Seems like he didn’t need the _Chemistry_ tutoring, eh?” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

“That was… profoundly awful,” Eddie admitted.

“Aw, Eddie, you wound me,” Richie’s lips twisted into a pout, and Eddie could tell that he was missing his cigarette. His lips parted as if holding one, and in that moment Eddie realized why cigarettes were so hard to quit.

“You know what will actually wound you? All the cigarettes you smoke,” Eddie said, pointing to the stub mark on the doorframe. “Lung cancer is a real thing, Trashmouth.”

“Eddie Spaghetti, are you worried about me?” Richie grinned, cooing.

Eddie’s cheeks burned. “There are other things to do with your mouth than smoking.”

“I can think of some things I can do with my mouth,” Richie drawled, voice dripping lewdly.

Eddie tried to ignore his blush intensifying. “Oh, yeah? Like talking? Because you seem to like that one, Richie.”

Richie let out a laugh, and Eddie felt his heart throb. “Come on in, Eds, it’s free entry for the hot ones,” He said, stepping aside to let Eddie into his room.

“My god, it’s _disgusting_ in here!” Eddie blurted out, eyes roving the hostile landscape of Richie’s room.

And it was, massive piles of dirty laundry curdled in the corners of the room, and old papers strewn about the floor. Richie’s bed was scattered with Hawaiian shirts and packets of old gum and cigarettes. The air with thick with the smell of nicotine, and loud rock music was playing.

Richie snorted. “Jesus, Eds, tell me what you really think,” He walked over and turned the music off, leaving the room in a sort of absence of noise that felt strangely disconcerting.

“This is like… a germ breeding ground,” Eddie said, horror evident.

“Sorry, princess, I wasn’t expecting guests,” Richie said.

“But you were,” Eddie insisted. “Bill was supposed to come.”

“I was expecting guests who’d _care_ ,” Richie clarified.

Eddie took a deep breath through his nose, trying to ignore his booming thoughts of _germsgermsgerms_ and _second-hand smoke oh god_.

“I’ll clear off the bed, okay?” Richie said.

Eddie nodded, shrugging off his backpack and holding it before him like a shield.

After Richie had cleared off the bed, removing all the odds and ends and floral shirts, Eddie perched upon it hesitantly. “So, where did you and Bill leave off working on?” Eddie asked.

Richie seemed almost surprised by the question. “Oh, um… acids?”

“Naming them? Or identifying them?” Eddie asked, unzipping his backpack and pulling out a neat notebook and textbook, both labelled _Chemistry_.

“Naming them,” Richie said, firmer this time. He pulled a piece of paper and a dull pencil from the floor. He poised his pencil to write. “Teach away, Dr. Kaspbrak! I put my trust in you, chap!” He proclaimed in an awful British accent.

“Stop calling me weird names,” Eddie said.

“Why, isn’t Kaspbrak your name, Doctor?” Richie grinned wolfishly.

“Shuddup, Trashmouth,” Eddie said, swiftly bypassing Richie’s teasing. “What’ve you learned?”

“Acids are bad. Don’t touch them.” Richie recited.

“Okay, what does that have to do with naming them?” Eddie asked.

“Well, I know that my favorite acid is the don’t-touch-me-I’m-fabulous acid,” Richie reported solemnly.

“That’s not a thing.”

“I wouldn’t expect you to know it, for you aren’t a glorious chemist like me!” Richie exclaimed.

“No. No, stop making up things. Acids are acids, and you are stupid. It’s the natural order of things,” Eddie said, smoothing out his paper. On it was a beautifully color-coded periodic table.

“Aw, Eds, you’re so cute when you’re frustrated,” Richie smiled, reaching forward to pinch Eddie’s cheek. “So cute, cute, cute!”

Eddie shrugged him off, cheeks burning. “Seriously, Richie! Chemistry!”

“Oh, I know all about Chemistry. Your mom and I have _fantastic_ chemistry,” Richie smirked. “But don’t worry Eds, nothing could meet _our_ chemistry.”

“Beep-beep, Richie,” Eddie said, cheeks hot.

Richie’s eyebrows drew together in confusion. “What?”

“It means shut the fuck up, ass-wipe,” Eddie said.

Richie burst into laughter. “Okay, okay, Eddie Spaghetti,” He paused, staring lazily at Eddie for a moment and Eddie felt his blush flare up again. “You’re so cute when you blush.”

“Beep-fucking-beep,” Eddie grumbled, trying to ignore how hard his heart was beating.

“Yeah, yeah babe,”

Eddie bypassed the pet name as best he could. “So, acids. What always goes first in an acid name?”

“Uh, I don’t know. But, do you know what a king’s fart is called?”

“Wait, what?”

“A noble gas!”

“Oh, my god, no!” Eddie exclaimed, whacking Richie over the head with his periodic table. “Focus, fuck nugget!

“ _Fuck nugget_?” Richie repeated incredulously. “Eddie Spaghetti, you are absolutely _adorable!_ ” He reached forward and pinched Eddie’s cheek, and Eddie slapped his hand away.

“Don’t be dumb, Trashmouth,” Eddie mumbled. “Chemistry. When you name acids, what do you put first?”

“Hydrogen,” Richie said, the word rolling off his tongue like it should be obvious. “So, Eds, what’s it like in that pretty head o’ yours?”

Eddie frowned in confusion. “Wait, what? I thought you didn’t know about acids.”

“Oh, uh… lucky guess?” Richie offered, guilt written all over his face.

“You’re lying,” Eddie realized. “Do you even need Chemistry help?”

“Well, uh… no, technically, but that doesn’t mean I don’t need help-”

“What? Then why does Bill tutor you?” Eddie interrupted.

“He… he doesn’t tutor me, Eds,” Richie admitted.

“What are you talking about?”

“He doesn’t tutor me,” Richie said. “Seriously, he doesn’t. We just… talk.”

“Talk?” Eddie asked. “Talk about what?”

“I don’t know, stuff,” Richie said shrugging. His cheeks were pinking suspiciously.

“That sounds fucking suspicious, Richie,” Eddie said.

“Well, Eds, I don’t see how it’s any of your business,” Richie snapped. 

Eddie was at a loss for words because Richie was right. It really wasn’t any of his business, but he wanted to know desperately. What were they talking about? What could they even talk about? They didn’t have anything in common except for… except for him. 

“Why did Bill ask me to tutor you? If you don’t need it at all?” Eddie pressed.

Richie followed his arms across his chest, the fabric of his shirt warping as he wrapped around himself protectively. “I don’t know, Eds.”

“But your mom said that Bill tutors you, so if he says that and your mom thinks that than why are you guys lying? What’s so important? And why am I here?” 

“Eds, honestly, I have no idea why Bill sent you, okay?” Richie sighed. “Okay, maybe I have a sort of idea, but I didn’t ask him to!”

“What? What idea?” Eddie asked.

“Eds, leave it,” Richie warned, his voice suddenly tired.

“No, I won’t leave it! What is it?”

“Eds-”

“Richie, what is going on?” He yelled, getting fed up with the evasions. 

“I like you, okay?” Richie shouted, throwing up his hands in exasperation. “I like you, and I told Bill, and he comes over to ‘tutor’ me so I have someone to rant to without judging me for being a fucking fag! I like you, and I whine to him about how pretty your eyes are and how cute your nose is when you get all mad and it gets crinkly and how fucking adorable your stupid little fanny pack is! And it’s stupid and everything’s stupid and I feel like I’m exploding whenever I see you and now everything is ruined because you’ll never want to see me again because I’m a filthy, stupid, annoying little faggot and you’ll hate me-” Richie’s voice broke off as he heaved in a breath and bit his lips. He pushed up his glasses. “Fuck, sorry Eddie. Please don’t hate me?”

He said it like a wishful question, like he already knew that Eddie would be disgusted and bolt, never to speak to him again.

“I…” Eddie was shock-still, at a loss for words. Richie liked him? But why? Richie was magical, and Eddie was just… Eddie. “You like  _ me _ ?”

“I literally just said that,” Richie said, eyebrows furrowing in confusion. “Or did you tune out my morbidly sappy confession?”

“No, I just…” Eddie still couldn’t form words.

“I’m not expecting anything from you,” Richie said. “Just, please… don’t hate me?”

“ _ Hate you? _ ” Eddie sputtered out. “God, no, I…” Eddie looked forward, locking eye with Richie. The eye contact felt syrupy and intimate, and Eddie shifted a little. “I…”

“C’mon, Eds, spit it out,” Richie said, a little nervously.

Eddie searched for something to say that wouldn’t come out all sappy and insincere, but he couldn’t think of anything. Exasperated, he let out a little, “Fuck it,” and surged forward.

Richie only had time to say “Fucking  _ what _ ” before Eddie’s lips forced him to stop speaking. Once Richie registered that Eddie was kissing him of his own volition, he kissed back hard, lacing his fingers into Eddie’s hair. Eddie wrapped his arms around Richie’s neck, moving to straddle Richie’s lap so he could be as close to the other boy as possible. Richie tongued at the seal of Eddie’s lips, asking for permission, and Eddie parted his lips happily, allowing Richie to lick into the heat of his mouth.

Richie tasted like nicotine and bubblegum, and his lips were rough and insistent against Eddie’s own. It was a heady, intoxicating sensation, kissing Richie Tozier… Eddie didn’t think he’d ever get used to the feeling. He didn’t think he’d ever want to. 

Richie wretched his lips from Eddie’s and moved to kiss under his ear, purpling his pulse point. Eddie keened wantonly, a silent plea. 

“I-I like y-you too,” Eddie stuttered, voices breaking with sighs of delight at Richie’s ministrations. 

Richie pulled back, panting. “What?”

“I like you too,” He stated, more firmly this time. “I just… I wanted to say it.”  
Richie grinned brightly, pushing up his glasses. He leaned forward and pecked the tip of Eddie’s nose, who wrinkled it in protest. “You’re so cute, Eds.”

“Don’t make me regret this, Tozier,” Eddie mumbled, pouting.

“Don’t worry, Eds, the only thing you’ll regret doing is not telling me sooner,” Richie said.

“I’m just going to point out that you told me first-” Eddie protested, but Richie cut him off by kissing him again, deeper and sweeter this time.

  
  
  


Eddie sauntered up to Bill, who was talking to Ben, Beverly, and Stan, and placed himself in front of him, placing his hands firmly on his hips.

“Bill.” Eddie said, his expression hard.

Bill turned to him with a smile. “H-Hey, Eddie! How wa-was yesterday?”

“Richie didn’t need Chemistry tutoring.”

“Oh, really?” Bill eyebrows raised in mock surprise. “G-Guess he le-learned more than I re-re-realized.”

“Yeah. Sure,” Eddie said, gaze fiery as he stared at Bill, will him to crack.

“Woah, Eddie,” Ben said, moving closer to him and brushing his fingertips over the purple bruises on his neck. “Did you get attacked by a leech or something?”

“Oh my god,” Beverly grinned. “Those are hickeys! You have hickeys! Little Eddie Kaspbrak got some!”

Eddie turned red and shrugged his shoulders up to his ears, trying to hide the evidence.

“H-Holy shit!” Bill breathed, holding back laughter. 

           “I can promise you that Eddie Kaspbrak isn’t  _ little _ ,” Came a voice.

Eddie’s face became even more red. “Shut  _ up _ , Richie.”

“Not likely, babe,” Richie replied, wrapping his arms around Eddie and tucking Eddie’s head under his chin. He kissed Eddie’s temple chastely. 

Eddie’s face was practically on fire as his friends stared at him and Richie was various shocked expressions. Except for Stan, who looked completely unaffected by the news. It was almost like he had expected it.

Richie unwound one arm from around Eddie and held out his fist for Bill. They bumped knuckles lightly. “Thanks for that, Big Bill, I owe you one.”

Bill laughed loudly. “O-Of course, of c-course, anyti-time!”

“Anyway, Bill, how was your date?” Eddie asked, shrugging off Richie’s arms. Richie didn’t seem perturbed, he just laced his fingers with Eddie’s and swung their joined hands between them.

Stan whipped towards Bill, uncharacteristically surprised. “You had a date? With who?”

Bill turned ghost-white at the question.

Eddie frowned in confusion. “With… you…” Eddie said, voice trailing off as he realized that  _ wow, Bill had probably hadn’t actually asked Stan out.  _ “Maybe… I was mistaken?” He offered, hoping that Stan would accept the weak excuse.

“You… you told Eddie we were going on a date?” Stan asked gently.

Bill buried his head in his hands. “K-k-kind of?”

“Why?”

“W-well, I meant t-to ask y-you… I j-j-just got too… scared,” Bill finished, peering up from his palms to look at Stan, whose face was getting very red.

“That’s okay…” Stan said, smiling softly. “Want to ask me know?”

“Wh-what?” Bill asked, confusion written across his features. 

“Ask me now,” Stan urged. 

“Um…” Bill swallowed and righted himself. “Do you w-want to g-go on a d-date with me?”

“All you had to do was ask, dummy,” Stan grinned. “Of course I will.”

Bill turned pink and smiled in delight. “Oh! O-okay, cool!”

Tentatively, Bill laced their fingers together, and Stan squeezed back.

“Aww…” Beverly cooed. “So cute!”

Bill and Stan both blushed hard then, sputtering as they realized they were still surrounded by their nosy friends.

“Affection,” Eddie scoffed. “Gross. Promise me you’ll never be that sappy?” Eddie asked Richie.

“I don’t like making promises I can’t keep, Eddie baby!” Richie proclaimed before peppering Eddie’s face with kisses. 

Eddie giggled and half-heartedly swatted Richie away in protest. Richie scooted away with a giggle, releasing all contact with Eddie. After a moment of sans-Richie, Eddie began to feel extremely uncomfortable. He nuzzled into Richie side with a resigned sign. “Affection is disgusting. Do it again,” He muttered.

Richie grinned brightly in triumph and leaned in to kiss Eddie softly.

“Eww…” Beverly chuckled. She reached forward and plucked a pack of smokes out of the pocket of Richie’s jacket. “You’re going to contaminate them with your sappiness!”

Richie and Eddie both ignored the comment. Eddie deepened the kiss, threading his hands through Richie’s hair, and Richie let out a soft noise of happiness from the back of his throat. 

“No, this is disgusting. PDA is illegal somewhere, I’m sure. And I’m happy you sorted your shit out, I still don’t wanna watch you swap spit. Please, stop!” Beverly pleaded.

“I think it’s kind of cute, them being all happy together,” Ben added sweetly.

“No, this is weird,” Beverly insisted. She walked up to them and flicked Richie in the face.

He winced and pulled again from Eddie’s lips. “Hey! What the fuck, Ringwald?”

“Dry hump somewhere else, I’m trying to have a pleasant morning!”

Eddie burst out into giggles, still holding Richie, who was shouting at Beverly about the pros and cons of PDA, close. He didn’t think he’d ever been happier before.

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know what you thought, and if you did like it, please check out my other Reddie fics (Cruel to be Kind, What's My Name?, Eight More Minutes, and Open Doors).  
> Love you all!  
> Kisses,  
> Chattre


End file.
